Quarterly Activity Report
FY2013 Quarter 4
(July - September, 2013)
Contents
1. 2013 PC HYSPLIT Workshop
2. Joint
Dispersion Modeling System Released
3. Project Sagebrush
4. Birch Creek Valley Study
5. Convective Initiation Project
6. Wind Forecast Improvement
Project
7. Consequence Assessment for the
Nevada National Security Site
8. Support for Experiments on the
NNSS
9. National
Air Quality Forecasting Capability
10. NASA's DISCOVER - AQ Project
11. Great Lakes Restoration
Initiative
12. Ammonia Emissions from
Fertilizer Application
13. FOCAL - Alaska
Study
ARL 4th
Quarter Publications
Awards, Honors, Recognition
Outreach
1. 2013 PC HYSPLIT Workshop
A 3-day HYSPLIT workshop was
given to 25 attendees from September 24-26, 2013 at the National Center for
Climate and Weather Prediction (NCWCP) in College Park, Maryland. The workshop
focused on the use of the August 2013 release of the HYSPLIT dispersion model
for the PC and Mac and its Graphical User Interface (GUI). This was the first time the workshop was held
at the NCWCP and overall the facilities were well received. Participants included researchers and
operational dispersion modelers from as far away as Indonesia, Australia, and
Argentina. Workshop training materials are available. glenn.rolph@noaa.gov
2. Joint Dispersion Modeling System Released
After extensive development and
testing by NOAA's Air Resources Laboratory (ARL) and NOAA's Office of Response
and Restoration (OR&R), a new web-based dispersion modeling system was successfully installed at the NOAA Web
Operations Center (WOC). This system provides NWS forecasters with the ability
to first simulate a release of a hazardous chemical to the atmosphere, using
the extensive scenario-based source term configuration of the Areal Locations of Hazardous Atmospheres (ALOHA) model developed by OR&R and the EPA, and
then to simulate the resulting plume, using the HYSPLIT atmospheric transport and dispersion model
developed by ARL. Based on user input, the ALOHA model creates a time-varying
source term that is used by HYSPLIT for transport and dispersion calculations.
The system also has menu-driven capabilities to simulate the release of other
hazardous pollutants to the atmosphere, such as smoke and radiological
contaminants. A series of webinars is being planned by ARL and OR&R to
familiarize NWS forecasters with the new system and its required and optional inputs.
glenn.rolph@noaa.gov
3. Project Sagebrush
ARL's Field Research Division
(FRD), along with assistance from ARL's Special Operations and Research
Division (SORD), prepared for Project Sagebrush. Beginning in October, Phase 1
of the project will take place at the tracer release facility located at the
Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The facility has established sampling arcs
extending out to 3200 m from the release point, but these arcs have generally
not been used in many years. The arc roads were inspected to ensure they are
still usable and that the surveyed sampler locations at 1 degree intervals were
still visible. For Project Sagebrush, tracer samplers will be placed at 3
degree intervals on five arcs.
A NEPA Categorical Exclusion for
the project was completed in coordination with the Department of Energy in Idaho
and the INL site contractor. Inspections by experts in local sensitive wildlife
species and archeological artifacts were completed as a requirement for NEPA
approval. The reporting of the amount of tracer gas (SF6) used
during the field experiment will be provided to NOAA to comply with federal
greenhouse gas reporting requirements.
Refurbishing was completed on the
160 bag samplers that will be placed on the arcs. FRD also has ten Trace Gas
Analyzers (TGAs) that provide fast-response measurements of concentration
fluctuations. However, only six of these are still in working condition. The
meteorological instrumentation that will support the project includes the
NOAA/INL Mesonet, sonic anemometers, sodars, a 915 MHz radar profiler, and a GRAW radiosonde system. Many of the sonic anemometers,
some provided by Washington State University and collocated with fast-response
infrared gas analyzers, have been installed at different levels on a 61 m tower
near the tracer release point.
The University of Tennessee Space
Institute delivered its twin-engine Piper Navajo aircraft for the project. The
aircraft was fitted with a TGA. FRD's Rick Eckman
will be operating this TGA as the aircraft passes through the tracer plume at
various downwind distances and altitudes. kirk.clawson@noaa.gov
4. Birch Creek Valley study
Phase 2 of the Birch Creek Valley
Study ended, and much of the instrumentation was removed and deployed for
Project Sagebrush. Some preliminary analysis of the data has been completed but
a full analysis will await consolidation of all the measurement data into a
database. dennis.finn@noaa.gov
5. Convective Initiation Project
An initial workshop for the
Convective Initiation project was held in Oak Ridge, TN in early
September. It included attendees from
the National Weather Service, Earth System Research Laboratory, National Severe
Storms Laboratory, and the University of Alabama, as well as staff from the ARL
divisions. FRD's involvement in the project will be related to evaluating model
skill in forecasting convective initiation, with a particular focus on
land-surface and boundary-layer parameterizations. A postdoctoral associate
will be hired to assist with the modeling effort. Ideally this associate will
be stationed at FRD, but either ATDD or ARL Headquarters are also possibilities
depending on the pool of applicants. ARL is also requesting core hours on NOAA
high-performance computers to run model simulations of convective initiation.
Some of the modeling may be based the High Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR)
model run by the Global Systems Division at the Earth System Research
Laboratory. richard.eckman@noaa.gov
6. Wind
Forecast Improvement Project
FRD completed an analysis of wind
data collected at three sites in Texas during WFIP, a wind-energy study
sponsored by the Department of Energy. A short report summarizing this analysis
was prepared for inclusion as a section in the final overall Wind Forecast Improvement
Project report. The analysis included seasonal variations in sensible heat and
momentum fluxes, estimation of the value of the exponent in the wind speed
power law, and estimation of the errors associated with using logarithmic wind
speed profile relationships and surface flux measurements to predict hub height
winds. Flux data from near-surface sonics were used
to examine the wind profiles as a function of atmospheric stability and compare
the observed profiles with expected profiles from boundary-layer theory. Values
for the displacement height and roughness length in these relationships were
determined using a probabilistic regression technique. richard.eckman@noaa.gov, Dennis
Finn
7. Consequence Assessment for the Nevada
National Security Site
The Department of Energy/National
Nuclear Security Administration's (DOE/NNSA) Nevada Field Office (NFO)
Consequence Assessment (CA) was tested using the new ARL/SORD Weather
Operations Center (WOC).The test was
successful and the DOE/NNSA NFO consequence assessment is now conducted from
the WOC. All NFO Emergency Response
plans and procedures are being updated to reflect this change. This move improves IT support for CA
equipment, faster access for CA team members, improved work space and display
capabilities, improved access to all SORD weather assets, and the potential for
enhanced/easier off-hours support. walter.w.schalk@noaa.gov
SORD participated in an emergency
response exercise as the Consequence Assessment Team for the NNSA Nevada Field
Office. The exercise was conducted on the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS).
In this exercise, SORD provided site specific weather data and weather
forecasts, and were ready to generate "what-if" scenarios based on the worst
case event scenario for the facility involved. The exercise event was a suspicious package in a van near an
experimental facility.This exercise did
not require the radiological or chemical plume modeling component of the
Consequence Assessment Team.However,
SORD did participate in determining the safe standoff distance from the
explosive.In addition, SORD was
requested to determine the safe standoff distance due to an explosion of the
gasoline in the fuel tank of the van. Ironically, the explosive properties of
gasoline were found to be a much greater issue than the explosive device.The explosive property of one gallon of
gasoline was found to be equivalent to 68 pounds of TNT.SORD's Rick Lantrip
was the Duty Forecaster and assisted in looking up information about the
properties of gasoline.SORD also performed
its role as Weather Subject Matter Experts.SORD's Kip Smith participated in the drill as a Drill Controller and
Evaluator for the Consequence Assessment Team.james.s.wood@noaa.gov, Walt Schalk, Rick Lantrip, Kip Smith
SORD also participated in an
emergency response drill as the Consequence Assessment Team for the NNSA Nevada
Field Office.The drill was conducted on
the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS).In this drill, SORD provided site specific weather data and weather
forecasts, and generated plume plots based on the worst case event scenario for
the facility involved. The drill event was a transportation accident involving
a forklift and a hazardous chemical.SORD participated in determining the safe standoff distance from the hazardous
chemical spill.Oddly enough, the
chemical involved in the incident did not appear in the dispersion tool
databases used by DOE.However, there was standing water and the
chemical reacts with water to produce other hazardous chemicals.These
chemicals were in the dispersion tool's database and were subsequently modeled.SORD also performed
its role as Weather Subject Matter Experts.SORD Director, Walt Schalk, participated in the drill as Facilitator for the
Consequence Assessment Team. kip.smith@noaa.gov, Rick Lantrip,
Walt Schalk
8. Support for Experiments on the NNSS
SORD provided enhanced weather
support for a non-proliferation experiment conducted on the NNSS.This support included weather forecasts and a
lightning watch focused on the experiment location. In addition, a radiosonde
balloon was released to collect upper air data. The balloon collected data to about 27,000 meters.These activities are necessary to provide
information for use and analysis in the experiment set-up and execution, and
for the safety of the personnel.This
support was critical to the preparation of the experiment, as monsoonal
moisture was approaching the NNSS which could generate thunderstorms with cloud
to ground lighting strikes and rain.The
area had recently experienced heavy rains and lightning.Data were assembled and distributed to the
principal investigator post-experiment.Dr. Steven Fine, NOAA ARL Director, participated in D-day activities at
the experiment site and met the experiment Test Director and the DOE/NNSA/NFO
Program Manager.james.s.wood@noaa.gov, Walt Schalk, Kip
Smith
9. National
Air Quality Forecasting Capability
Tim
McClung, Chief of NWS Science Plans Branch, announced at the Annual Forecaster
Focus Group Meeting that the National Air Quality Forecast Capability for the
operational predictions of ground-level ozone and the experimental prediction
of fine particulate matter would be officially re-instated. This was important
news for the ARL Air Quality Team, in that they will continue to evaluate
and improve data and computer models used to inform forecast models run
operationally by the NWS. pius.lee@noaa.gov
10. NASA's DISCOVER-AQ
Project
From September 1-30, ARL
participated in NASA's DISCOVER-AQ (Deriving Information on Surface
Conditions from COlumn and VERtically
Resolved Observations Relevant to Air Quality) field study in the
Houston metropolitan area, under a grant from the University of Texas Air
Quality Research Program. The DISCOVER-AQ study used
aircraft research flights over the Houston area to improve the interpretation
of satellite observations to diagnose near-surface conditions relating to air
quality. The study was designed to further NASA's goals to study the Earth from
space in order to increase fundamental
understanding of air pollution transport and distribution and to enable the
application of satellite data for societal benefit.
Several ground measurement
stations were deployed across the Houston metropolitan area to provide surface
data to supplement and compare with data collected during aircraft overflights,
and to compare with concurrent column abundance measurements at several times
throughout the flight days. ARL scientists deployed sensors at two ground
sites, at Galveston and Manvel, TX, due south of Downtown Houston. Measurements
collected at Galveston included NO, NO2, NOY, SO2,
and O3. Measurements
collected at Manvel were for NO2. The instrumentation was thoroughly
tested, evaluated, and calibrated in ARL's chemical laboratory prior to the
study. The instrumentation ran continuously in the field through the month of
September.
The surface observations will be
used to relate column observations to surface conditions for aerosols and key
trace gases; characterize differences in diurnal variations of surface and
column observations for key trace gases and aerosols; and examine horizontal
scales of variability affecting satellites and model calculations. Expected
outcomes of DISCOVER-AQ include improved forecasting ability for current air
quality conditions; assessment of air quality for purposes of attribution to
specific causes; and improved estimation of emissions which undergo constant
change. winston.luke@noaa.gov, Xinrong Ren, Paul Kelley
11. Great Lakes Restoration Initiative
The 3rd year of the mercury modeling work under the Great
Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) has begun, examining the consequences of
alternative future emissions scenarios. A
first step has been to identify and begin to obtain alternative emissions
scenarios to be used in the analysis. In addition, a new type of simulation has
been developed in which the entire global mercury emissions inventory is
modeled simultaneously. An advantage of this type of simulation is that an
entire full-inventory "answer" can be obtained in 3-4 processor days (using a
2.5x2.5 degree Eulerian grid) , as opposed to
~500-1000 processor days required to obtain the detailed source-receptor
results using standard source locations and interpolation. A disadvantage is that
detailed source-receptor information is not produced in the "all in one"
simulation. Another disadvantage is that the spatial resolution of the
simulation is significantly degraded (e.g., plumes from large point sources are
not well characterized). However, for investigation of chemical mechanisms and
other process-related phenomena, this type of simulation is proving useful, and
a series of such simulations has been carried out. It is not intended that
these simulations will replace the more explicit and extensive source-receptor
simulations, but that they will serve as a complementary analytical tool.
Initial experiments have shown that single-processor 1x1 degree global Eulerian grid HYSPLIT-Hg simulations are not practical --
e.g., a one-year simulation using a single processor would take on the order of
one year to complete. Initial steps have been taken to implement parallel
processing functionality within HYSPLIT-Hg using OpenMP. mark.cohen@noaa.gov
12. Ammonia Emissions from Fertilizer Application
Preparations continued for the 2014 ammonia
emissions field study in Illinois. Laboratory testing of the sampling system
was conducted to determine the most effective configuration.Three types of tubing material (fluorinated
ethylene propylene, polytetrafluoroethylene, and high-density polyethylene) of
three different lengths were tested using a range of lower ammonia
concentrations up to 1ppm.Thus far, the
best results were obtained using a relatively short (2m) length of fluorinated
ethylene propylene tubing, which seemed to show the least amount of ammonia
adsorption.Results from the tests will
be described in a future technical note.In addition, a relaxed eddy accumulation box that will be used during
the field study has been refurbished and tested.For the modeling portion of the study,
SURFATM-NH3 has been selected as one of the models that will be utilized by ARL's
Atmospheric Turbulence and Diffusion Division (ATDD) to simulate ammonia
exchange.Planning meetings with Dr. Sotiria Koloutsou-Vakakis from
the University of Illinois and Dr. Chris Lehmann from the National Atmospheric Deposition
Program/Illinois State Water Survey were held at ARL's Atmospheric Turbulence
and Diffusion Division (ATDD) to discuss the field study. While at ATDD, Dr. Koloutsou-Vakakis presented a seminar entitled "Quantifying
emissions of primary fugitive PM and secondary PM precursors," and Dr. Lehmann
visited the AIRMoN site at Walker Branch Watershed. ATDD
participants in the meetings included LaToya Myles, Tilden Meyers, Rick Saylor,
Mark Heuer, Daryl Sibble and
Jason Caldwell.latoya.myles@noaa.gov
13. FOCAL –Alaska Study
The Flux Observations of Carbon from an Airborne Laboratory (FOCAL)
system was flown across the North Slope of Alaska from August 10-August 29,
2013, following a week of equipment installation at Hanscom
Air Force Base near Boston, MA. The Alaska study was based out of Deadhorse
Airport in Prudhoe Bay and resulted in 14 data collection flights.A total of 65 hours were flown between the
start and end of the experiment to get 36 hours of scientifically useful data.
The objectives of the study were to 1) prove the flux measurements of H2O,
CO2, and CH4 were being made successfully with the
aircraft; 2) survey areas of emissions of CH4 and CO2
from inland melt-water lakes and the Arctic Ocean; 3) provide data to
characterize the representativeness of the Naval Research Laboratory's (NRL) bulk
gas column measurements both in the Arctic Ocean and over the tundra to larger
spatial scales; and 4) characterize the emissions of CO2 and CH4
around the Prudhoe Bay oil fields.
The first objective was met by comparing the fluxes
measured by the aircraft to those measured by a ground-based meteorological
tower located at 70.08545° North latitude, 148.57016° West longitude.This location is approximately 10 miles south
of Prudhoe Bay and lies adjacent to an access road approximately halfway
between the Dalton Highway and the trans-Alaska pipeline. The meteorological
measurements collected on the meteorological tower included fluxes of H2O,
CO2, and CH4, global incoming and outgoing radiation, air
temperature, and various soil properties, including moisture, temperature at
three depths.The tower measurements ran
nearly continuously through the month of August.
The second objective was addressed by designing flight
tracks to fly over lakes in the open tundra and ice in the Arctic Ocean.Several grid patterns were flown over the
tundra, and one flight was designed to look for ice north of Prudhoe Bay in the
Arctic Ocean.However, despite flying approximately
185 km off-shore, there was no ice to fly over.
The third objective to support the NRL was met. One
flight was flown over NRL sites in both the tundra northwest of Prudhoe Bay and
the Arctic Ocean north of Nuiqsut during the NRL
sampling period.
The fourth objective was addressed by flying in a large
box shape around Prudhoe Bay at low altitude (< 50 meters) to measure CO2
and CH4 concentrations.
Additionally, one flight included maneuvers used to
calibrate ARL's Best Aircraft Turbulence probe.Maneuvers included a straight and level flight, a wind box, one yaw
left/right maneuver, two wind circles, four phugoid
oscillations, three pitch up / down maneuvers, two rapid acceleration
/deceleration maneuvers, and two pitch calibration maneuvers. Ed.Dumas@noaa.gov, Ron Dobosy, Bruce Baker
In support of the airborne measurement campaign, the ground-based
flux tower was installed near Deadhorse, Alaska. The
tower was designed to measure the fluxes of CO2, H2O, and
CH4, along with supporting soil and climate variables. The
solar-powered system recorded data continuously throughout the month of August,
and in early September was partially shut down in preparation for low-powered,
winter observations. john.kochendorfer@noaa.gov
14. Cloud Cover Data
An adjusted and quality-controlled dataset of total cloud
cover for 155 U.S. stations was completed and compared to collocated
precipitation and diurnal temperature range data. The final data showed
improved correlation with the other related climate variables as a result of
the reduction of the effects of changes in observing and reporting of clouds.
The trends in U.S. cloud cover in the adjusted dataset are significantly lower
than in the original data, suggesting that reports of increasing cloud cover
from previous studies are in error. A paper entitled "Trends in U.S. total
cloud cover from a homogeneity-adjusted dataset" based on this work was
submitted for internal review. melissa.free@noaa.gov
ARL 4th Quarter Publications
Published:
Belter, C. W. and D. J. Seidel (2013), A
bibliometric analysis of climate engineering
research. WIREs Climate Change. 4:417-427. doi: 10.1002/wcc.229.
Bowman, K. P., J. C. Lin, A. Stohl, R. Draxler, P. Konopka, A. Andrews,
and D. Brunner
(2013). Input Data Requirements for Lagrangian
Trajectory Models. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 94,
1051-1058. http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-12-00076.1
Ikawa, H., I. Faloona,
J. Kochendorfer,
U.K.Y. Paw, and W.C. Oechel. (2013) Air-sea exchange of CO2 at a Northern California
coastal site along the California Current upwelling system. Biogeosciences 10 (7), 4419-4432, doi:10.5194/bg-10-4419-2013.
Winston Luke, John T. Jayne, and Eduardo Olaguer. (2013). Measurements of submicron aerosols in Houston,
Texas during the 2009 SHARP field campaign, Journal of
Geophysical Research - Atmospheres, 118, 10,518-10,534, doi:10.1002/jgrd.50785.
Early On-Line
Releases Published:
The paper "Trends in
Planetary Boundary Layer Height over Europe" by Y. Zhang, D. J. Seidel,
and S. Zhang was published in an early on-line release in the Journal of
Climate. The study presents the first estimates of trends in the height of the
planetary boundary layer (PBL) using daily radiosonde
observations at 25 European stations during 1973-2010.The height of the PBL is
often used in climate and air quality studies to characterize convective and
turbulent processes, cloud entrainment, and air pollutant dispersion and
deposition. In general, a deeper PBL means greater vertical mixing and lower
surface pollution concentrations; Most stations show statistically significant
increases in daytime heights in all four seasons, but fewer show statistically
significant trends in nighttime heights. Daytime height variations show an
expected strong negative correlation with surface relative humidity, and strong
positive correlation with surface temperature at most stations studied, on both
year-to-year and day-to-day time scales. Similar relations hold for long-term
trends: increasing daytime boundary layer height is associated with decreasing
surface relative humidity and increasing surface temperature at most stations.
The extent to which these changes are regionally representative or local
reflections of environmental changes near the observing stations is difficult
to ascertain.
The paper "A study on
nocturnal surface wind speed over-prediction by the WRF-ARW model in
Southeastern Texas" by Fantine Ngan and collegaues was published in an early on-line release in the
Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology.The authors investigated the over-prediction of surface wind speed during nighttime by the
WRF-ARW model for a period of the Second Texas Air Quality Study. In coastal
regions of southeastern Texas, the model had significant increase of wind speed
biases on the surface in the evening on certain days. The study area was
subjected to a weak easterly/southeasterly flow in the low troposphere and was
favorable for sea breeze which brought a southerly/southwesterly onshore flow
to the near-surface levels. The downward sensible heat flux was over-predicted
at night and a warm bias in surface temperature was observed. The vertical
gradient of wind speed in the lowest 150 m was smoother in the model than it
was in the observations; this could be attributed to excessive downward mixing.
Sensitivities using different land surface and PBL schemes showed that the
model's over-prediction of nocturnal wind was still present despite
improvements in the predictions of surface temperature and sensible heat flux.
The paper "Eight years of
forest-floor CO2 exchange in a boreal black spruce
forest: spatial integration and multi-temporal trends" by D. Gaumont-Guay, T.A. Black, A.G. Barr, T.J. Griffis, R.S. Jassal, Praveena Krishnan, N. Grant and Z. Nesic
was published online by the Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology. The
work is based on 8-year period (2002 to 2009) automated net forest-floor CO2
exchange measurements made in a mature (130 years-old) boreal black spruce
forest. These observations offer important insight into the biophysical
controls on spatial patterns and multi-temporal trends of the net forest-floor
CO2 exchange, soil respiration, gross forest-floor photosynthesis
and their interannual variability.
Awards, Honors, Recognition
The Council of NOAA Fellows
recently elected Dian Seidel (ARL) and Rick Methot
(NMFS) as incoming chair and vice-chair, respectively, to serve two year terms
(FY14 and 15), succeeding Paul Sandifer (NOS), the
first chair of the Council. Established in 2011, the Council consists of all
NOAA Senior Scientist (ST) and Senior Leader (SL) employees and serves to
support and advise the NOAA Administrator, leadership, and Research Council on
options and decisions aimed at fulfilling NOAA's strategic goals with respect
to conducting innovative science and research initiatives.
LaToya Myles was appointed as chairperson of
the Diversity Committee for Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society. As
chair, she will lead the committee in making recommendations to the Sigma Xi
Board on issues and policy relating to under-represented groups within the
Society and within the science, mathematics and engineering community as a whole.
Outreach
Rick Saylor attended the final project
presentations of students participating in the Joint Institute for
Computational Sciences (JICS) Computational Science for Undergraduate Research
Experiences (CSURE) program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). JICS
is a joint effort of the University of Tennessee and ORNL to advance scientific
discovery and state-of-the-art engineering and to further knowledge of
computational modeling and simulation by contributing to the education of a new
generation of scientists and engineers well-versed in the application of
computational modeling and simulation for solving the most challenging
scientific and engineering problems. The CSURE program links a group of
undergraduate students with mentors over nine weeks during the summer to
explore emergent computational science models and techniques proven to work in
a number of data and computer intensive applications using the supercomputers
at the National Institute for Computational Sciences (NICS) located at ORNL.
Rick Saylor co-mentored James Herndon, a student from New Mexico State
University, with Prof. Joshua Fu at the University of Tennessee to use the NOAA
Atmospheric Chemistry and Canopy Exchange Simulation System (ACCESS) model to
investigate the impact of automobile emissions on the formation of ozone in the
Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Results and further analysis from
the work performed by Mr. Herndon will be documented in a future journal
publication. rick.saylor@noaa.gov